


Only Thing Left

by horsegirl1h



Series: RDR2 Drabbles [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Grief/Mourning, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 08:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20579417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horsegirl1h/pseuds/horsegirl1h
Summary: John goes to Van Horn stable to retrieve one of the only other things he would have left of Arthur, his horse.





	Only Thing Left

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the lovely Verai for taking a look and giving me a few pointers!

A few weeks after the events at Beaver Hollow, John was laying low at Copperhead Landing. He couldn't help but think of the last moments Arthur spent with his horse on the mountain. Remembering him talking about his other horse he kept in the Van Horn stable, John decided that he had to see if his horse was still there, hoping the stable owner hadn't thought to sell him since his owner hadn't come in for a while. The day John was getting ready to head out, Abigail wasn't too keen on the idea.

"Have you lost your mind John? We just escaped all this mess. Don't be a fool and walk right back into it!" she hissed in a harsh whisper, trying to keep her voice down so as not to wake Jack.

John ran a hand over his face, frustrated. "Abigail, listen, this is something I have to do. Arthur saved me. You know how he was about his horses. I have to at least see if it's still there. He would do it for me." He lowered his voice at the last sentence and looked away, but not without Abigail noticing the mournful look on John's face. 

She came up to him and put her hand on his forearm. 

"I'm sorry. I just...I just got you back and I don't want to lose you again." Her voice quavered as she spoke.

John put a hand on Abigail's cheek and gave her a small smile. "You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy woman. I'll be back before you know it." He wiped a stray tear from her face before giving her a kiss in its place. 

Waiting until after nightfall, John said his goodbyes to Abigail and rode to Van Horn from Copperhead Landing, straying from the main roads as best he could. 

He tried to suppress the memories that plagued him all at once. He missed the way things were before they all went to shit. Hell, even when they were at Horseshoe Overlook, he didn't think things were terrible. He missed Old Boy. He missed Sean annoying the hell out of everyone, Hosea and his brilliant schemes. He missed the laughter of the gang after a score was successful and called for a celebration.

But he missed Arthur most. 

Coming upon the stable, he could see there were a few horses outside in the pen, but none he recognized to be Arthur's. Trying not to get his hopes up, he hitched his borrowed Walker to the post outside and collected himself before walking in.

_Here goes nothing_. 

The stable owner was towards the back of the barn, giving hay to the night’s residents. Appreciative nickers could be heard as John stopped just inside the doorway. 

"Excuse me, sir?" 

The owner turns to look at John, albeit weary of his rather late night arrival. 

"Can I help you?"

John clears his throat and replies, "I'm sorry to bother you so late but I'm looking for a horse that belonged to a friend of mine. He uh..recently passed." 

"Well what kind of horse is it? You got any papers?" 

"I believe it's a Foxtrotter. Champagne in color. And no, I don't have papers. The only thing I can tell you was the man who owned him was named Arthur Callahan." John sighed, his hope of finding the horse slowly vanishing. 

The owner hummed in thought, seeming to decide if this man's story was true or not. 

"I think I remember the name. And we rarely have any that color out this way except for a handful. He's out back, but I'll warn ya, he ain't been too kind."

John followed the man behind the stable to a separate pen from the one he saw earlier. When he actually saw the horse with his own eyes, he was surprised, to say the least. 

"Thats…that's the one. But why is he separated from the others? And to be honest, he don't look that great." John stood next to the fence, hands on his hips in slight annoyance for the horse not being taken care of. 

"That horse ain't been right in a few weeks. I ain't puttin' myself or no one else in danger ‘cause he wants to be a bastard to anyone that gets within ten feet of him."

John turned to look back at the stallion, shaking his head. The horse was standing against the back of the pen, ears almost flat on his neck with his head lowered to the ground. He was dirty, and he looked like he could use a few bales of hay. 

"I'll tell ya what, if you can get close to him and lead him outta here he's yours. I'm tired of dealing with him." The stable owner nodded towards the troublesome horse before stalking off into the barn.

Turning back to the horse, John slowly walked through the gate and shut it behind him. He walked the perimeter of the pen, the stallion watching him as he went. The closer John got, the more anxious the stallion became. Snorts of anger and stomping of hooves caused John to take a few steps back. The movements brought back the memory of the day Arthur brought the beast into camp. They hadn't been at Shady Belle but maybe a few days when Arthur had brought him in from a day’s ride, with only a rope for a makeshift bridle.

*****

_"Where'd you find that beauty?" John chuckled as he walked up to the pair and watched the stallion snort and stomp as Arthur dismounted. _

_"Found some bastard tryin' to put a bullet in him after he ran him so hard he threw him damn near 'cross the river." Arthur gave the stallion a few pats and fed him, trying to calm the beast's nerves. _

_"Christ Arthur, these mean ones will kill you one of these days." John chuckled as he shook his head at the older man. _

_Arthur put a hand on John's shoulder and smirked. "Maybe so Marston, but at least if he throws me in the river, I can swim out." _

_John rolled his eyes and shook off Arthur's hand in mock offense. "Real funny, Morgan."_

*****

The memory that flooded John caused him to chuckle out loud. He only wished Arthur were here now to guide him.

John calmed himself as he backed up against the fence and sat down to watch the stallion, and waited. He pulled a carrot out of his satchel and gently tossed it toward the horse, who gave a snort and tossed his head. 

Minutes turned into hours, and soon the early signs of dawn were approaching. John was beginning to think it was a lost cause until he noticed the stallions body language had changed. He had walked closer to John, ears pricked forward although still uncertain the human before him could be trusted.

John stood up slowly and held his hands out toward the horse to see if he would get closer to smell him. 

"Easy boy, it's just you and me now. I won't hurt ya. C'mon, you don't want to stay here with that mean ol’ man, do ya?"

Slow, careful steps toward the horse. Now that the sun was rising, John could see the horse more clearly and just how bad of shape he really was. His ribs were almost showing and layers of dirt kept the sheen of his once shiny coat hidden. His mane and tail had tangles from a lack of brushing. 

The horse stayed rooted where he was standing, and to John's surprise he let him walk up to him, although the horse watched him closely. He sniffed John's hand and nickered. John carefully reached into his satchel and pulled out his brush and began to groom the dirt away. He felt a tugging at his satchel and turned to watch the horse. He was trying to get as close to his satchel as possible and even turned in towards John trying to get closer.

"What is it boy?" John dropped his hand by his side and he swore he could see the flash of recognition on the horse's face and that's when it dawned on him. He had on Arthur's satchel. He realized the horse could still smell Arthur's scent and kept nudging the satchel. He nickered softly and turned back the way he was before, his ears now in a neutral position, with his head lowered. 

John walked around to the front of the horse and put his hands on either side. The stallion stepped closer and rested his forehead against John's chest. 

He couldn't help but look up at the sky and let a tear fall down his face. He realized that the horse possibly knew Arthur wasn't coming for him and maybe he was even grieving himself? 

John let out a shuddering breath, closing his eyes as the ache in his heart overcame him. The stallion nudged him gently, almost as if he was trying to offer comfort. For the first time since everything went to hell, since he'd lost his best friend and had the only family he'd ever known ripped apart, he wept. 

The two of them could start healing together, a fresh start in a new place, the memory of Arthur imprinted on them both forever. 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr: horsegirl1h


End file.
